Hari Potter and the Lord of Destruction
by ProHero-InkoMidoriya
Summary: Set in the fifth book and the expansion of Diablo 2, Hari Potter is transported to the realm of the Diablo series through a mishap regarding Mundungus' sketchy magic. Featuring fem!Harry with no romance planned at the moment (though that could always change later). Rated T for violence and language and general... Diablo stuff.
1. One: The Portal

**A/N: Hey lads, looks like I'm a little behind on updating my other currently ongoing fic, mostly due to lack of motivation for the fandom. Assuming you don't all hate me for the lack of an update for that, I've got something else for you - a Harry Potter/Diablo II: Lord of Destruction crossover featuring magical shenanigans and fem!Harry. Unfortunately, I have no hands in either franchise (otherwise I'd be pretty rich).**

Chapter One: The Portal

Hariel Alcea Potter supposed that she should be used to strange things happening around her or even because of her by now. At fourteen (nearly fifteen and glad for it, since she was one year closer to leaving the Dursleys for good, despite the fact that all of her friends refused to contact her), she had lived through the inexplicable truths of the Philosopher's stone, the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk inside, her godfather-turned father figure breaking out of prison and explaining that he was, in fact, her godfather, and the year before the worst of it all: the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Cedric's death, and Voldemort's resurrection. She'd hardly slept since then and she knew it showed on her face, but there wasn't anything she could do about it; sleep wouldn't come even if she got on her knees and begged (she knew, she had tried), and it wasn't as though Petunia would allow her any kind of makeup to disguise the dark bags forming beneath her eyes.

To digress, Hariel (preferring to be called Hari much of the time) supposed that she should be used to the strange, unusual, and even the impossible. So when a dementor appeared in Little Whinging, Hari was glad that she had at least in part gotten used to the strange and unusual, and that she had taken up Ancient Runes as a hobby (Hermione hadn't even noticed her books going missing the year before, and Hari had mail-ordered the rest at the beginning of the year) so that she always had her important things on her. For now, the runes required to be a reusable seal were drawn on some special parchment; as soon as she was better at runes, sure of herself, she'd get it tattooed, even if she had to do it herself. After all, where better to keep her things than where she knows they won't be stolen? The dementor had only solidified her decision, as running from the thing was absolutely not an option now that she'd managed to ensure Dudley left before they could corner him, as well.

Currently, Hari was trying to figure out what she should do without breaking the Statue of Secrecy or the underage magic law, because she got the feeling that the Ministry would use any such occurrence against her in any way they possibly could. She'd never liked Fudge much, but now that he was running this smear campaign against her (which she only knew about because she'd been getting Dobby to bring her Malfoy's copies of the Prophet once he was done with them. It was a win-win, because not only did she get to keep up with the news Dumbledore was _deliberately_ keeping her from, she also got to ensure that the Malfoys felt at least some oddity in their lives. Hari tried to keep that in mind as the dementor approached, and as the chill in the air grew stronger, she realized that it wasn't just _one_ , there were _two_. She swore at the realization, tripping over her own feet as she tried to escape. Her only exit was cut off, though, and she was starting to panic, closing her eyes and shaking her head to try and rid herself of the echoing " _Kill the spare"_ and " _Not Hari, take me instead!"_. It didn't work; Hari's vision was beginning to blur around the edges and her breath was becoming ragged but she was determined to get herself out of the situation.

She stood, curling her hands into fists and letting the pain of her nails cutting into her palms distract her from the terror she was feeling as she started towards the dementors, picking up speed until she was almost on top of them, then dropping to the ground and rolling under them, springing back up and sprinting away. Hari knew that they were fast approaching her, but as she continued running, a loud _crack_ echoed around them and a rough voice she didn't recognize shouted out an unintelligible spell, a bright light flashing just past her and hitting the dementor that had been closest, a concussive force spreading out from the spot and knocking Hari forward. She took a deep, gasping breath, trying to get up and keep running, before the man's (Hari could see him now. He was short and grimy and looked as though he'd sell her to Voldemort for any kind of profit) eyes widened, as though there were something happening he hadn't expected to. Fearfully, Harry turned back to look at the dementor – where once had been a menacing creature of the Dark, there was a portal of some sort, glowing neon blue around the edges.

Hari would have simply dismissed this had the portal not been drawing gravel from around her into it in a swirling pattern that was starting to lift her hair and shirt towards it. Clearly that hadn't been the intended result, and even as Hari turned back to look at the man, Mrs. Figg – delicate, batty old Arabella Figg – was approaching the man, wielding a purse that looked as though it held several tins of cat food, undoubtedly telling him off for whatever reason. Before she could call out to either adult, though, the portal began to increase its pull, and Hari let out a cry of surprise as she was lifted off the ground and towards the portal. Grabbing at the edges of it did nothing; it was like air, and her hands simply passed through it. As Hari fell through the portal, she screamed, and the sound was cut off only when she landed with a thud on damp, grassy earth, knocking the wind out of her.

After a moment, Hari recovered, still coughing lightly before she rubbed at her eyes under the glasses that miraculously hadn't cracked during her fall. She stood, looking around the area and found that she was nowhere recognizable; she looked like she was in some kind of grassy field that stretched for miles, though there was an outline of a house in the distance, and then a tree nearby. There was also something not unlike a shrine nearby her. Deciding to ignore that for now, Hari headed towards the house – maybe there was someone who could tell her where she was, at least.

It was clearly night now, though Hari supposed that the area wouldn't be much brighter during the day; it was the kind of area that seemed as though it might always have an overcast sky. The walk seemed to take less time than it should have, but Hari didn't let herself dwell on that for the moment. It would be too much of a hassle to wonder about.

There was no door on the house, and inside it looked desolately empty. There was a chest at the end of the bed covered in cobwebs, so Hari took no pause in opening it – inside was a handful of gold and a dagger, which she quickly decided was too convenient to pass up.

The bed was a similar matter – under the covers was another few pieces of gold, leaving her with a small purse slowly gaining weight with the thirteen gold pieces she now carried. They weren't galleons, but they looked like no muggle money she knew, so Hari didn't know exactly what to expect.

As she turned to inspect a bookshelf, Hari was surprised to hear a slight grumbling – not unlike the voice of a disgruntled house elf, she supposed – though the source was far uglier. It was a short red creature that looked like a stereotypical muggle depiction of a devil. Before Hari could say anything, the creature brandished its sword, swinging wildly at her as it continued to speak. Not one to risk her life for some foolish notion of mercy in this unknown world, Hari swung out with the hand holding her new blade, watching dispassionately as the creature fell and blood splattered across the floor. As it fell, the creature dropped more gold, which Hari was quick to pick up. One thing was for sure, though – she would need something with longer reach if she was going to deal with those things.

Hari decided to walk in one direction as far as she could after leaving the small house, quickly finding a path and following it to a small town. Once inside, she could see several people milling around, and stopped by the fire in the center of the town to warm her hands, as it had started to rain while she walked and she was feeling rather cold. While she warmed her hands, Hari was approached by a middle-aged man who looked more tan than any of the other people in the village. "Hello," she greeted with a small smile.

"Greetings, stranger. I'm not surprised to see your kind here. Many adventurers have traveled this way since the recent troubles began. No doubt you've heard about the tragedy that befell the town of Tristram. Some say that Diablo, the Lord of Terror, walks the world again. I don't know if I believe that, but a Dark Wanderer did travel this route a few weeks ago. He was headed east to the mountain pass guarded by the Rogue Monastery. Maybe it's nothing, but evil seems to have trailed in his wake. You see, shortly after the Wanderer went through, the Monastery's Gates to the pass were closed and strange creatures began ravaging the countryside. Until it's safer outside the camp and the gates are re-opened, I'll remain here with my caravan. I hope to leave for Lut Gholein before the shadow that fell over Tristram consumes us all. If you're still alive then, I'll take you along. You should talk to Akara, too. She seems to be the leader of this camp. Maybe she can tell you more."

Hari blinked in surprise at the excess of information, but nodded. "I.. thank you. My name is Hari," she explained, finally pulling her hands away from the fire. "I don't believe I caught your name, however, sir..."

The man laughed softly. "Warriv, my name is Warriv. Though I am no sir, simply a caravan leader. Your assistance will be most welcomed, young sorceress, as I am certain Akara will tell you."

"Which one is Akara, then?" Hari asked politely, her hands now feeling warm enough to move away, though she was enjoying talking to someone after walking for so long.

"She is near the entrance of the camp, with the purple tent. It was a pleasure meeting you, Hari. I do hope to travel with you; try your best not to die!"

Hari flushed lightly and nodded her thanks, moving towards the leader of the camp, this... Akara, with wariness in mind. She approached cautiously, smiling softly at the woman who sort of reminded her of Professor McGonagall. "Hello," Hari said easily, nodding in deference to the woman. "Warriv pointed me in your direction."

"Greetings, young Sorceress. It is good to see more of your kind at work in the world these dark days. In my opinion, the world needs more women to fight against the great shadow," Akara said in an easy tone, smiling at her before she sobered. "But I am forgetting my manners... I am Akara, High Priestess of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. I welcome you, traveler, to our camp, but I'm afraid I can offer you but poor shelter within these rickety walls. You see, our ancient Sisterhood has fallen under a strange curse. The mighty Citadel from which we have guarded the gates to the East for generations, has been corrupted by the evil Demoness, Andariel. I still can't believe it... but she turned many of our sister Rogues against us and drove us from our ancestral home. Now the last defenders of the Sisterhood are either dead or scattered throughout the wilderness. I implore you, stranger: please help us. Find a way to lift this terrible curse and we will pledge our loyalty to you for all time."

Hari listened closely to Akara's story, sobering at the sound of this... Andariel demon. "I will do my best, High Priestess," she vowed in a hard voice, nodding. "I am not from this land but I can understand the loss of a home, and I will do all that I can to right the wrong that has been done to you." Hari missed her own home, and she had been gone for a few hours at best. These women ad been forced from their home for months, possibly even years.

Akara nodded, as though accepting her vow. "There is a place of great evil in the wilderness. Kashya's Rogue scouts have informed me that a cave nearby is filled with shadowy creatures and horrors from beyond the grave. I fear that these creatures are massing for an attack against our encampment. If you are sincere about helping us, find the dark labyrinth and destroy the foul beasts. May the Great Eye watch over you."

"I will do my best to clear the den and return, then," Hari said with a nod. "Might I keep a chest of my things here, so that I have some place safe to keep them?"

"Of course, Sorceress. And, if I may... Take this grimoire. None of the Sisterhood have had need to pass it on for generations, but I fear that our time of elemental magic is coming to an end. I wish to see it used, rather than die out because of a stubborn Sisterhood."

"Thank you, High Priestess," Hari said with a solemn nod, taking the book and clutching it tight to her chest. With a slight bow, she turned, heading back to the fire before unsealing her chest with a swipe of her bloodied thumb over the rune, watching as the trunk emerged on the ground with a puff of white smoke. Inside, she dug through her things until pulling out a pair of dark exercise pants and a tight-fitting shirt, and an emerald cloak that darkened to black near the ground. She would _not_ be walking around in Dudley's cast-offs in this strange world where she was called a sorceress.

As she put the old clothes back into her chest, Hari counted how much money she had – almost fifty gold now, since she'd come across several of those demonic-looking creatures. Not enough to buy anything, she was sure, since most places here seemed to sell armor and weapons. Venturing back out of the town, Hari encountered more of the creatures, taking no qualms in slaughtering them now that she knew that they posed a risk to Akara's group of what remained of the Sisterhood. She picked up some armor as she went, and several potions – healing potions and something called 'mana' potions, which she supposed was something like an energy potion. Hari was surprised to run into other creatures, as well; zombies, and something that looked like a mutated porcupine. Now outfitted with a sword and shield and some simple armor (which somehow fit her very well), Hari felt a little more prepared to fight the creatures that were in the den.

She had yet to look in the grimoire, but she supposed that most of the spells were going to be too complicated for her to use at the moment. She would look after the Den, she supposed. As Hari approached, she shuddered lightly; the feeling of evil was clinging to her like a second skin. It wasn't nearly as bad as the icy dread of dementors, but it was a cloying feeling of darkness that she realized accompanied these creatures.

As Hari entered the cave, the first thing she noticed was the darkness. She could, of course, use a _lumos_ spell to light her way, but she didn't have her wand with her, and she didn't know how to handle magic without a focus. And anyway, around her was a small radius of light, cast off from one of her pieces of armor. It was enough to allow her to walk without stumbling, and catch glimpses of the monsters in the cave. There were the same creatures as out in the Moor, though there was one notable exception – something large and furry that looked like some kind of gargantuan beast.

Hari fought her way through the creatures, only slightly protected from their blows by the well-worn leather armor she had on. She took one of the healing potions she'd picked up along the way, panting slightly as it took effect. Come to think of it, this monster killing thing was pretty fun; she felt more alive than she had since the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, when Cedric died. And by the time she had gotten to the last few monsters in the cave, she was exhausted; feeling far richer, as most of the monsters dropped gold, and unnecessary weapons and armor (she was trading out what she had for what she found, making sure she was wearing the best armor available, and had the best weapon) that she was sure she could sell to make a profit.

Taking a break for a moment, Hari went over what she had, opening the tome of unfurled portal scrolls. She had asked Akara what they did before she left the town, and was glad for the way to instantly return to the town. She had seven in the tome, which Akara told her would hold twenty. She also carried a one-handed axe and two small shields she was fairly certain were called bucklers, and a set of throwing knives she was sure she could get some good money for.

Before she could continue her appraisal, a zombie approached, swiping at her shoulder and taking her off guard. Hari shrieked, whirling around with her short sword and lopping off the monster's head. With it fell a pair of gloves, and Hari hesitated before swiping them up, assessing them before swapping them out for the pair she was wearing; they were in far better shape. She packed up her things before continuing through the cave, killing the few remaining monsters with a hard cry. As she finished, some sort of independent light began to glow in the cave, heaving a soft sigh of relief. "Well, that's finally done," she said after a long moment of catching her breath, picking up the gold coins dropped to the ground (bringing her total up to about 200) before opening the tome of town portals and using one of the scrolls.

Hari returned to Akara, bloodied and tired and hoping to find a bedroll where she could curl up and get in a few hours of sleep. As she approached, Akara healed her, giving her a small boost of energy. "You have cleansed the Den of Evil," she said, sounding pleased but not surprised. "You've earned my trust and may yet restore my faith in humanity."

"It was my pleasure, High Priestess," Hari assured with a nod.

"I will teach you a skill of your choice as a reward. I know it takes time to work through a grimoire. Come back to me once you decide which you would like to learn," Akara told her easily.

Hari nodded again, sighing as she headed around the camp, going to the blacksmith as she decided to get rid of the armor and weapons she didn't need.

"Hi there. I'm Charsi, the blacksmith here in camp," she greeted as Hari approached. "It's good to see some strong adventurers around here. Many of our Sisters fought bravely against Diablo when he first attacked the town of Tristram. They came back to us true veterans, bearing some really powerful items. Seems like their victory was short-lived, though... Most of them are now corrupted by Andariel."

"I'm Hari," Hari said in response, smiling softly at the woman. "I have some items to sell, if you're buying."

"Let's see what you've got!" Charsi was young, older than her but younger than the rest of those in the encampment, at least those selling things.

In the end, Hari sold the knife set for 288 gold, the armor pieces for about 60 gold apiece, and the bucklers for 200 and 344 gold respectively. In return, she bought a belt to allow her to carry more potions for 210 gold, leaving her about 1000 gold richer than she'd been when she first arrived. Bringing the gold and her things back to where her chest sat, Hari began to look through the grimoire.

It was simple, and divided into three main categories: Cold Spells, Lightning Spells, and Fire Spells. Hari figured she could learn one or two on her own before going to learn from Akara; and she looked over the spells available before deciding to learn the Frozen Armor spell and the Warmth spell, and learn the ice bolt spell from Akara. She had never learned from a grimoire before, but Hari realized quickly that it was instinctual; she pressed her hand to the page of the spell in question and channeled her magic into the page, and the knowledge of the spell flooded into her mind. There was no doubt that it would take time to learn the spells fully; it was why Akara had told her that it was a slow learning process. Not only did one have to learn the spells from the pages of the grimoire, but you had to practice, and then read the text of the grimoire to fully understand the spell.

As Hari learned the Warmth spell, she realized that it was a passive magic, allowing her to gather warmth from the air and convert it to energy (the _mana_ that the people of this world used to channel their magic). It made her glad that it was the first spell she had chosen to learn; it would make all of her other spells much easier.

The Frozen Armor was one that she would have to re-cast often, but it was a required spell to learn the stronger versions of the spell, Shiver Armor and Chilling Armor. Once Hari had fully comprehended the two spells, she got up from in front of her trunk, shutting and locking it, and went to Akara.

"Teach me the ice bolt spell, please," Hari requested after greeting the woman, standing still as Akara told her to do and opened her eyes as Akara pressed a hand to her forehead, channeling the knowledge into her.

"There you are, child," Akara said with a smile. "Use it well. It is good to see one using such magics again; many who had the ability were lost with Andariel's corruption."

Before Akara could elaborate, another woman rushed up to them, worry, fear, and anger on her face. "My Rogue scouts have just reported an abomination in the Monastery graveyard!" She twisted her face in anger, watching Akara and Hari both.

"Explain, Kashya," Akara said benevolently, though not in the overbearing tone Dumbledore often used.

"Apparently, Andariel is not content to take only our living. Blood Raven, one of our finest captains in the battle against Diablo at Tristram, was also one of the first to be corrupted by Andariel. Now, you'll find her in the Monastery graveyard raising our dead as zombies! We cannot abide this defilement!" Kashya seemed truly angry about the woman who had been one of their captains. Hari missed it, but Akara nodded towards her, giving Kashya a signal to ask her. Kashya focused on her, narrowing her eyes for a long moment. "If you are truly our ally, you will help us destroy her."

Hari blinked in surprise; she had never expected Kashya, Captain of the Rogue scouts, to ask her for help. "I will do my utmost, Commander. I cannot stand those who turn their backs on their allies in the name of power... that is the reason my parents were killed." Hari turned a bloodthirsty grin on the commander; it seemed that her time in this world was allowing her to use a side she did not often get to see. "I will destroy this Blood Raven for you, there is no need for repayment."

Kashya was the one who was surprised after Hari spoke, nodding. She had never expected to see a Sorceress so... abundantly leaking this kind of killing intent. "Be careful, Sorceress. Death has done nothing to weaken Blood Raven's combat skills. If anything, she is more deadly than ever."

"I will keep that in mind." Hari gripped the long dagger on her belt, pausing for a moment before addressing the two women. "I hate to ask this, but is there anywhere I can get a meal? I haven't eaten in some time and potions cannot sustain me forever."

Akara laughed softly, smiling at her. "Yes, of course. I'm sure Kashya would not mind sitting with you for a meal; I know for a fact that she has not eaten in some time, either."

Kashya scowled at Akara but acquiesced, putting a hand on Hari's shoulder. "This way, Outlander. Kyoko, one of my scouts, has a kitchen she allows us to use. I know for a fact that she has meat pies in the oven," Kashya told her.

"That sounds wonderful," Hari said with a nod, hoping that her stomach didn't start growling. She was starving, and for good reason; she had spent a lot of energy in the last few days.

"So, outlander, what brings you to our encampment? I hope you know that it will take more than clearing a cave of demons to earn _my_ trust."

"I... honestly, I don't know," Hari admitted. "And you can call me Hari; I prefer it to 'outlander' or 'Sorceress', no matter how much accuracy those titles may hold."

"You don't know? How do you not know?" Kashya seemed skeptical.

"Well, I'm not exactly... from this world," she explained. "My world has none of these monsters; I arrived through an accident not of my making. We have creatures called 'dementors', that will suck the soul from a person while leaving the body alive. Someone who was either protecting me or attacking me sent a spell at one of them, opening a portal that pulled me through and dropped me in the Blood Moor."

"So your world has magic, but has never felt the threat of the Prime Evils, or the Lesser Evils," Kashya assessed, leading Hari into Kyoko's tent. "I see. In that case... you have done remarkably well, for only just having arrived here."

"Coming from you, that's high praise," a voice that Hari didn't recognize said from further in the tent. A young woman came out, dressed in armor like Kashya's with a bow slung across her back, a quiver of arrows strapped to her hip. Hari assumed that this was Kyoko; she did look a little Asian, she supposed. "You must be the outlander. I am Kyoko, one of Kashya's Rogues."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Hari said with a nod. "I'm Hari." She looked to Kashya, who was looking away a little sheepishly.

"We came to use your oven to heat up some of those meat pies you make. Akara has all but commanded me to eat with... Hari." Kashya was acting like she had been forced into it, but Hari had a feeling that she was curious about what Hari had been saying.

"Feel free to have them," Kyoko said easily, nodding at them. "It's my turn for a rotation in the Plains, so I won't be back for a few days."

"Be safe. I don't need to remind you that we'll need all the bows we can get to protect the camp," Kashya reminded. After Kyoko left, Kashya dug out two pies, putting them in a clay oven to warm. She sat down at one of the chairs, offering the other to Hari. "It explains why you aren't like other sorceresses I've seen. Most find melee and non-magical combat vulgar, and outright refuse to use it. But you.. While you don't have much muscular definition, you're clearly learning, and doing your best with the skills you have at hand. You haven't even bought a wand from Akara."

"I have a wand back at home, and I doubt any would truly accept me while I'm still bonded to that one," she reasoned. "Though I'll probably need to get a staff to help me channel some of the more powerful magics in the grimoire. I've never done much melee fighting, or ranged fighting for that matter, but I did once kill a basilisk with a sword," Hari admitted with a smile.

"A basilisk!? Even we have those beasts, with the deadly eyes and fiery venom. When did you defeat such a demon?" Kashya seemed awed.

"I was twelve, and tiny at that, so about two and a half years ago," Hari admitted. "Its fang pierced my arm. I was lucky to survive." She pulled up her sleeve to reveal the round scar on her upper arm, surprised when Kashya reached out to touch it.

"Such a large beast must have been hundreds... no, thousands of years old," she said in a hushed voice. "How did you survive?"

"There was a phoenix – a creature with healing tears that is reborn from its ashes when it dies – that clawed out the basilisk's eyes so I could face it head-on, and healed me with its tears when I was bitten." The smell of the meat pies was beginning to fill the air, and Hari's stomach let out a growl. "I also faced a dragon last year, but I didn't have to kill it."

"I... misjudged you, outlander – Hari. If you should like, I can take some time to train you with a bow, and I will assign one of my Rogues to accompany you when you travel – though after you've defeated Blood Raven. I do not doubt your skill, but I want to ensure that my girls remain safe from Blood Raven's taint." Kashya got up, pulling the meat pies from the oven and putting one in front of Hari, handing her a spoon as well.

"I'm honored," Hari said softly, nodding in acceptance. "I would love to learn."

"Since you are not from this world, it is possible that you have the ability to learn archery skills. If you like I could try to teach you those as well... though my scouts have only rudimentary mastery of cold arrows and fire arrows, they can assist in teaching."

"I would love to have the chance to learn under you," Hari said with a giddy smile, spooning a bite out of the pie. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted; not through any mastery of cooking, but it seemed far more flavorful than anything in her world had been.

Silence fell between them as they ate, the pies gone quickly. It seemed that both of them had been hungry. "I will walk with you to the edge of camp," Kashya said as she finished, standing and offering Hari a hand.

Hari accepted, sighing contentedly. "That was.. Very good. I'll have to thank Kyoko the next time I see her," she hummed. "I suppose it is time I go to find Blood Raven. Thank you for your support, Commander."

Kashya laughed happily, squeezing her shoulder. "Call me Kashya, Hari. Though you fight with magic, you have the heart of a true warrior, and the battle scars to prove it. If nothing else then that has earned my respect. In time, I hope to call you friend," she said easily. "Take care in the Cold Plains. Several of my scouts, risen from the dead by Andariel's foul magics, have taken up camp from there on. They are on an entirely different level from the creatures that you have faced thus far in our world – your world now, too. I have no doubt you will be able to defeat them," Kashya said confidently. "And Andariel, too, though none of us in the Sisterhood could manage it on our own. I know that Warriv has offered to take you East with him once it is safe to travel once more... I offer you shelter in our encampment, and later, once we return to the Monastery, a home as well."

"I am... honored," Hari said, eyes wide – reminding Kashya that she was still young, still barely older than a child and certainly not yet an adult. She had said that her defeat of the basilisk was when she was only twelve years old; that it had been only two and a half years before. Hari was not yet fifteen...young enough that Akara would not mind teaching her magic, but far too young to join her scouts. "I would be eternally grateful to accept such an offer." Kashya was twice this girl's age – not old enough to be her mother, but old enough to act as a sibling... or as a guardian, if need be. She would have to speak with Akara about this, for she had certainly realized the same thing.

"Go on, then, child, I know that you are eager to set off," Kashya said rather than raising any of her concerns, smiling as Hari ran off into the Moor to hunt down the Burial Grounds and with them, Blood Raven.


	2. Two: Blood Raven

**A/N:** Hey y'all, I know it's been awhile! This is not a story that I have had plans for - it was a spur of the moment thing that I _am_ planning on taking places, I just need... time to do it, and inspiration. On the plus side, it means that I get to play through Diablo LoD again, but it's a slow process to get it written down, plot cross-checked, and make sure that everyone is as in-character as I can make them. Obviously I'm taking liberties with the Diablo characters, so expect some ooc-ness.

TL;DR: This updates slowly and will probably be ooc. Enjoy the read, and _constructive_ criticism is always welcome! Complaints with no suggestions as to fixing issues will be read, carefully considered, and deleted.

Hari decided to pick up the pace a little as she made her way through the Blood Moor, jogging as she followed the path to the edge of the Moor where one of the Rogues was waiting. Her name was Flavie, if Hari remembered correctly from some of the gossip from the Rogues in town. "Beware! The evil is strong ahead," Flavie warned her as she moved beyond the Blood Moor and into the Cold Plains. Hari nodded in response, tightening her grip on the long knife on her hip, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble. And trouble came indeed, in the form of undead Rogues wielding axes and rapidly moving toward her, far more intelligence in their eyes than had been noticeable in any of the monsters she had met before.

Rolling out of the way of one heavy swing, Hari rebounded and swept upwards with her knife, wincing as the blade caught the skin of the undead rogue's throat just above her armor and tore through it like cold butter. She let out a gurgling scream as she died, hopefully for good this time. Hari had no time to mourn, as another undead rogue was quickly upon her, striking a glancing blow against her armor on her shoulder that would bruise, but thankfully heal. Hari whipped around, catching the axe in one hand and slashing across the rogue's eyes, ignoring the grunt of pain and quickly rebounding to stab through a crack in her armor. As there had only been those two for the moment, Hari took a long minute to catch her breath, noting the way her knife had chipped rather precariously. Grimacing, Hari sheathed it once more, pulling the rather nicely-made axe from the undead rogue's hand – she really had to think of something better to call them – before picking up the gold that the pair had dropped.

The trek through the Plains was a little more treacherous than she had initially anticipated; it was a whole different level of difficulty that she was, at first, having trouble managing. Not only did she have to deal with more of the demonic-looking creatures from the Den of Evil, but their resurrecting shamans as well, not to mention more of the gargantuan beasts that she had struggled to kill one of in the Den, and multitudes of the undead Rogues – which she had decided to classify by their weapon choice; Dark Hunters for those who preferred swords and bucklers, and Dark Spearwomen for those that still chased after the living with spears and javelins in hand. She had yet to meet an undead rogue that had retained her skills with a bow (though she supposed that Blood Raven would be one such opponent), but supposed that the classifications would also work there – they would simply be Dark Rangers, since she had no desire to relate them to the archer mistresses that made up the Rogues.

Hari had decided that making her way around the edge of the Plains, marked off by a masterfully-made stone wall that looked as though it had kept the borders of each area marked off for generations, was the fastest and likely safest way to find the Burial Grounds that Blood Raven had made her encampment, her base for resurrecting the dead. Initially she had found an entrance to another area of grasslands – she had asked about the areas further on when returning to town and having Charsi repair her armor and purchasing a new weapon – called the Stony Field. Upon realizing that it did not, in fact, lead to the cemetery she was searching out, Hari retreated, continuing her loop around the Plains until she came upon her goal.

She had found Blood Raven, finally; though it had scarcely been a day it felt as though an eternity had come and gone. Knowing that she had cleared the direct area of monsters, Hari seated herself, taking a moment to rest and come up with a plan, and to go over the Grimoire to see if there were any other spells she could learn outright to help her in this battle. She felt as though her strength had grown enough for her to add another skill to her repertoire, without exhausting herself too much in the process of learning it.

"Not any lightning spells, not yet," Hari mumbled to herself, paging through the Grimoire. "Not until I know I'm strong enough to start learning that teleport spell. This nova spell won't be strong enough to kick a bitch like Blood Raven back." She skipped on to the fire spells; the fire bolt spell would come in handy at some point, but not yet. Fire purified, yes, but she needed to be able to slow Blood Raven down – there was no doubt that she would be outmatched by the undead Rogue Captain. Flipping back to the cold spells, which she had initially dismissed – she didn't want to overspecialize, after all – Hari looked over them before deciding on going for the powerhouse spell rather than the defensive spell. If this Ice Blast (an upgrade to the Ice Bolt) would be able to freeze Blood Raven for even a few seconds, it would give her a major advantage. It was likely that it would cost much more energy, though, so Hari knew that she would have to use it conservatively.

Channeling her magic exactly as she had before, Hari used the Grimoire to teach herself the spell, this time noticing a subtle difference she had missed before – the air around her grew cold enough for her breath to frost in the air before dissipating back into the normal (muggy, dismal) temperature of the Plains. Hari could feel her body thrumming with energy, and with her armor (a heavier leather now, with gloves and boots and a helmet to match) comfortable and far more funcional, and her weapons (a hand-and-a-half sword slung across her back to use for reach, though it wasn't too functional with how much the weight slowed her down, and a scimitar to use only until Kashya was able to begin teaching her how to use a bow) sharp and ready to use, Hari was practically tearing at the seams to go and complete the quest she had been given.

Entering the Burial Grounds was eerily silent; she had expected something a little more... she wasn't sure, exactly. There was a tall fence, broken down in several places, surrounding the graves. Hari wasn't surprised (sad, but not surprised) to see that there were several zombies and skeletons approaching her from around the area of the Burial Grounds.

"My army will destroy you," a vaguely demonic-sounding voice growled from the first second Hari stepped past the crumbling metal gate of the cemetery. Hari's head snapped towards the sound – like all of the undead rogues, Blood Raven's skin was now a sickly, paper-white color. She wore a helmet the same shade as her skin with horns pointing up, looking remarkably like the skull of a demon. Given that she had been resurrected directly by the Lesser Evil Andariel, Hari didn't discount that as a possibility. The main difference that she could see so far was that Blood Raven seemed to have retained her intelligence to a degree; she harbored some kind of resentment for the Rogues that fueled her anguish (that which Andariel had used and corrupted to use the Captain for her own means). Still; Hari couldn't let that cloud her judgement, and she refused to as she ducked under the swing of a skeleton's scythe, swinging her own scimitar up through the creature's spine in response. Without thinking, Hari cast the Frozen Armor spell, feeling the comforting chill of the spell settle over her skin like a shroud as it formed a visible protective circle around her.

Ducking and weaving through the dead that Blood Raven directed towards her and brushing off the few arrows that stuck in her armor (not deep enough to pierce her skin yet, thankfully), Hari made her way closer to the demon, managing to get in a hurried swipe with the scimitar and gashing open her arm before Blood Raven was hurrying off again, covering her escape with a horde of zombies surrounding her as they popped up from the ground like daffodils as spring approached.

Groaning in frustration, Hari sheathed the scimitar and swapped the speed of the one-handed sword for the range and power of her bastard sword, letting herself swing it around with an angry cry and succeeding in clearing her immediate area (quickly realizing she had just powered raw magic through her arms and the blade, cutting through the undead around her as though they had been warm butter). Blinking off the realization, Hari hefted the sword and ran towards Blood Raven, using the momentum the weight of the blade gave her to her advantage. She spun on a heel, using the weight of the heavy blade to make her spin even faster and rip at least the first inch of the blade through Blood Raven's side. It was by no means a crippling wound to an undead creature, but since she was still moving, still functioning enough to _think_ , Hari figured she still needed the blood to pump somehow. Without blood, she couldn't think, and if she couldn't think, she couldn't fight.

"Matron Andariel commands your death," Blood Raven hissed, drawing her bow and sending an arrow at Hari that gouged deep in her cheek, an unavoidable blow as her helmet merely protected her temples and the back of her neck.

"Matron Andariel can bloody well deliver it herself," Hari growled back, swinging the sword once more and managing to knick Blood Raven's drawing hand. "I'm sorry that it's come to this, Blood Raven." Hari dropped her bastard sword, lunging forward at the sudden lack of weight, and drew her scimitar just in time to thrust it up through one of the cracks in Blood Raven's armor, swallowing thickly at the quickly-congealing blood gushing over her hands as the sword sank up to the hilt, the end piercing through Blood Raven's back. Even as she did this, she could feel her strength waning – Blood Raven's arrows had been poisoned.

It seemed to take a moment for her second death to process, but as Blood Raven died, she screamed – an agonizing sound even to Hari, who was quick to let go of the scimitar once it became clear that the lightning exuding from Blood Raven's corpse was ending whatever foul magic she had used to raise the dead. She let herself fall to the ground on her hands and knees, panting as the poison drew from her strength and blood dripped steadily down her face in several long streaks. She fumbled for a healing potion, coughing as she swallowed it down. It was far from enough for her to go back to full strength, but it was enough for the poison to stop drawing from her strength, and it was enough for her to catch her breath before standing up.

The potion had been more focused on the poison than the wound, but still Hari could feel the dull ache on her face (the wound stretching from just under her left eye to nearly her ear) telling her that the wound was nearly days old now, rather than moments fresh. Another potion would help that, but Hari didn't have any on her at the moment, and returning to the Encampment to assure the Sisters that Blood Raven was finally at peace was a far more important goal. She could deal with another scar; the pain that these women faced every day knowing that one they had trusted before was against them so was far more important.

Drawing one of the Town Portal scrolls from her belt, Hari channeled her magic into it, panting lightly as she stepped through, relieved to see the familiar fire that Kashya stood by. The woman seemed surprised and relieved both to see her, and while she clearly noticed how ragged Hari was at the moment, she was going to give her the dignity of making her approach herself.

"Kashya," Hari greeted softly.

"Hari," Kashya responded with a nod. "You look as though you have done battle."

Hari quirked a smile in response to the words. "That is one way of putting it," she agreed. "I killed Blood Raven. Her death triggered the destruction of the undead she had created that remained in the Burial Grounds."

Kashya seemed to take a moment to process this. "I can hardly believe that you've defeated her," she admitted, a little proudly. "Though she was once my closest friend, I pray that her tortured spirit remains banished forever. As promised, I place several of my best Rogues at your disposal."

Hari gently put a hand on Kashya's forearm. "Betrayal is a hard thing to bear, though I doubt that it was all of Blood Raven's doing. Andariel is a Lesser Evil, the Maiden of Anguish. She likely twisted the feelings that she felt at the moment of her death until she was unrecognizable as the person she used to be. I'm sure that the person that Blood Raven used to be is as mournful of the actions just past as you are," Hari suggested.

"I hope you are right. If my friend is still there at all then she may have still had a chance at redemption," Kashya mused, smiling at Hari. "I thank you, young sorceress, for the actions you have taken to redeem our Sisterhood."

"Of course," Hari promised easily. "I'm glad that I was able to help. With any luck, you'll have your home back in no time." The two shared a grin, Hari hopeful at the thought of being able to help and Kashya with pride at the young sorceress' bravery.

"Go on and see Akara. She will heal the rest of your wounds," Kashya insisted, nudging Hari towards the Priestess' tent. "We can speak more later."

Hari let a giddy laugh escape her as she moved towards Akara's tent, scratching absently at the half-healed cut on her face.

"Good day," Akara greeted. "You look triumphant. I take it that the battle went well?"

Hari nodded with a small smile. "Blood Raven is at rest once more."

"Andariel must be made to pay for her sacrilege," Akara said with a grimace after a moment. "Come, let me heal your wounds. Blood Raven favored poisoned arrows even in life. If not dealt with carefully, they could have lingering effects, even if you are healed." Slowly, she worked her hands, glowing with power, over the most obvious of the wounds. "You will always have a scar there. I suggest investing in a helmet that covers more of your face."

Hari smiled and relaxed as it didn't cause pain pulling at the freshly healed skin. "I will. Thank you, Akara."

"Before you go... It is clear that we are facing an Evil difficult to comprehend, let alone combat. There is only one Horadrim sage, schooled in the most arcane history and lore, who could advise us... His name is Deckard Cain. You must go to Tristram and find him, my friend. I pray that he still lives." Akara looked grim, more serious than Hari had seen her yet – which was saying something, considering their situation. "I trust in your ability to remain safe."

Hari swallowed thickly before she nodded. "I will do my best, then. I will return with Deckard Cain."

Akara relaxed into a tense smile. "Tristram is too far to journey by foot... Cain would likely be dead, when you arrived. However, there is a magical portal that will take you there instantly. To open it, one must stand within the circle of Cairn Stones and touch them in a certain order. The proper order can be found in the runes written on the bark of the Tree of Inifuss. You must find the sacred Tree of Inifuss and bring back its bark. I will translate the runes to unlock the Stones' mystic pattern."

"I understand," Hari said with a nod and a short bow. "Thank you for helping me. I'll go as soon as I can." She waved a short goodbye to the Priestess, pushing her hair back out of her eyes and wished that she knew how to braid it. She headed to Charsi, hoping to get her things repaired and trade out some of her weapons for lighter and better ones.

"Whatcha need?" Charsi asked with a grin as Hari approached, shoveling some charcoal into her forge. Her hair was braided, Hari noticed – she'd have to ask how to get it like that.

"A few repairs and some upgrades. I'm looking to get a bow," Hari explained. "And maybe some of that ring mail. The added protection is worth the weight," she said with a huff of a laugh.

"I think I've got just the thing for you," Charsi said with a smile. "I've got three different kinds of bows here, and I think this one will work best for you. It's a long bow, with a draw that you'll be able to pull back on repeatedly while you're fighting. If you take care of it and bring it in for repairs when you hear any unusual creaking or the bowstring starts to wear, this should last you until you get to Lut Gholein. I don't doubt that you will," Charsi said with a knowing grin. "Warriv and the rest of us in camp know it, too. He's started making preparations to move his caravan back."

"That's rather trusting of you all," Hari said with a deep blush. "I'll do my best to live up to expectations. Y'know, not die and all." She managed a laugh as she pushed her hair back again. "So, I'll take the bow. Any ring mail I can try?"

"I've been playing around with some enchanting. If you don't mind paying a little more, I'm calling this the Ocher Ring Mail of Thorns. It gives you some lightning resistance and the enchantment gives it a little bit of a kick to anyone who hits you," Charsi explained. "If you don't want that I have some that one of the other Rogue scouts found without any enchantments."

"No, I'll take the one that you made. I know that'll be high quality," Hari said with a grin. "While I'm here... Do you think you could show me how to wrangle this mess of hair? I noticed you've got a pretty tight braid there and I've never learned how."

Charsi laughed. "Sure! I've got to keep mine wrapped fairly tight because of working at the forge. Although I don't think that my hair has ever been quite so untameable as yours. Come over here, let me try and brush through it a bit for you."

Hari moved over, shifting so that Charsi could start pushing her fingers through her hair. "I really appreciate your help with everything, Charsi. You're not just a blacksmith to the people here, you're a part of a community, a part of the Sisterhood. Even though you're not out there fighting like you want to be – don't say that you don't want to, I've seen the look in your eyes," Hari said before Charsi could cut her off. "Even though you're not out there, you're doing one of the hardest jobs in any war. You're hanging back and keeping things going here, so that they all have someplace safe to come when they get home," Hari said sagely. "It's one of the most important jobs, too. I mean, can you think about how hard it would be if Kashya and her Rogues didn't have someone here to mend their armor when they've come from a long rotation on the Plains?"

"I suppose you're right," Charsi said, beginning to plait Hari's dark hair into a tight braid. "It isn't easy, though. But I guess it's better that I never have to fight – that the camp has never come so close to being overrun that we have to fight."

"Gheed described Akara as a slow river of magic once to me," Hari started softly, closing her eyes as Charsi tugged on her hair to keep it tightly plaited. "And Kashya as a viper of war. If one was to keep with the comparison, I have no doubt that you would be a lot like a badger."

"A badger?" Charsi asked skeptically, stilling as she frowned. "Why a badger?"

"Well, they're fiercely loyal. And while they aren't complacent or docile, they're tolerant until one begins to desecrate their territory, their home, or hurt their family or those under their protection," Hari explained. "You're like that, I think. You don't look dangerous at first but your face would hold a war grin as easily as any of the Rogues. And your weapons work as well as any badger's claws." Sure, maybe she was a bit biased as to the abilities of badgers after Cedric, but it was well suited to Charsi, too. She rather thought that the two would have gotten along.

"Huh," Charsi said after a moment. "Here, hold on to this for a moment while I get a tie for the end. I've never really thought about it like that before." She tied the strip of leather around the end of the braid before stepping back, grinning at Hari. "I won't charge you for that one," she teased. "Now, I heard Akara sent you to go looking for the Tree of Inifuss. I don't know if it's any help, but the best way to it is through the Stony Field and the Underground Passage to the Dark Wood. It's guarded by one of the Beasts Andariel has charmed. As far as we can tell, it's faster than any other of the Beasts. It's also more resistant to damage, so... be careful."


End file.
